Dispersion relations & elementary particles

BOOK NOTES PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND BIOPHYSICAL CHEMISTRY, VOL. 11, edited by J. A. V. Butler, B. Katz and R. E. Zirkle. 255 pages, diagrams, plates, 6¼ X 10 in. London, Pergamon Press, 1961. Price, $12.50. The overlapping of the physical and the biophysical sciences is emphasized in this series. Volume 11 is comprised of six papers, with an added section of short discussions covering various phases of cytoplasmic particles and their role in protein synthesis. The six major papers are: " T h e Natural Radioactivity of the Human Body"; "The Engineering Approach to the Problem of Neural Organization"; "Effects of X-Rays on Nucleic Acid Biosynthesis and on the Activity of Nucleases in Mammalian Cells"; " T h e Effect of Ionizing Radiations and Turnout-Chemotherapeutic Agents on the Bone Marrow"; "Some Factors Influencing the Dispersion of Indicator Substances in the Mammalian Circulation"; and "The Buoyancy of Fish and Cephalopods." Excellent bibliographies, including 1960 references, accompany not only the six papers, but also the seventh section on cytoplasmic particles. ENERGY PRINCIPLES IN APPLIED STATICS, by T. M. Charlton. 106 pages, diagrams, 6 X 9 in. London, Blackie & Son Ltd., 1959. Price, 25s. The author has written this text in an effort to clarify the difference between the strainenergy and potential-energy methods applicable to the analysis of statical, plane pinjointed systems. The author clearly demonstrates the principle of virtual work, and points out that Castigliano's "principle of least work" (which is a misnomer) is only one of two possible approaches to the analysis of linear statically-indeterminate structures, the other being the method of potential energy. The author devotes two (of a total of seven) chapters to the complementary-energy method of analysis. Our readers may recall Charlton's paper in this JOURNAL (Vol. 250, p. 543) on the analysis of redundant systems through the conception of conservation of energy. 238

DISPERSION RELATIONS~: ELEMENTARYPARTICLES, edited by C4cile De Witt and R. Omnes. 671 pages, diagrams, 61- X 9½ in. Paris, Hermann & Cie., 1961. Distributed in U. S. by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Price, $20.00. This collection of eight treatises on various aspects of dispersion relations and elementary particles represents material presented at the 1960 summer session ot the School of Theoretical Physics at the University of Grenoble. Two of the papers are in French, the others in English. M. L. Goldberger's "Introduction to the Theory and Applications of Dispersion Relations" covers the historical background, twodimensional representation, non-relativistic and relativistic theory, and applications to pion-nucleon scattering, forward scattering and non-forward scattering. A. S. Wightman's two papers (one in English and one in French) deal with invariance in relativistic quantum mechanics (Lorentz and Poincar6 groups, physically and not physically realizable states, inversions, infinite operators) and with analytic functions of several complex variables (holomorphy domains, continuity theorem, and others). R. Omnes' contribution (in French) covers general properties of the S matrix reduction formulas, Dyson's formula, and holomorphy domains, with mathematical proofs and examples. A. O. G. K~illen discusses the properties of vacuum expectation values of field operators, covering field and particle concepts, reduction formulas, 2-, 3-, 4- and n-polnt functions. G. F. Chew's contribution, "Double Dispersion Relations and Unitarity as the Basis for a Dynamical Theory of Strong Interactions," deals, for example, with the Lorentzinvariant amplitude, the Maudelstam representation, charge and spin, partial-wave amplitudes, pion-pion scattering, and the nucleon electromagnetic structure. S. B. Treiman discusses weak interactions, including Leptonic and non-Leptonic reactions, and universal models. Included are

Sept., 1961.]

BOOK NOTES

beta decay, u-meson decay, decay of neutral K particles, and others. The final contribution, by Y. Yamaguchi, deals with strong interactions of strange particles, covering isospin, spin-parity, K-N collisions, the Stark effect, and the application of dispersion theory to polology. PRINCIPLES OF INTERNAL NAVIGATION,

C. J. Savant, Jr., R. C. Howard, Solloway and C. A. Savant. 254 illustrations, 6 X 9 in. New McGraw-Hill Book Co., Inc., 1961. $9.75.

by

C. B. pages, York, Price,

This first book devoted entirely to this rapidly expanding field covers the basic concepts of automatic navigation, the design and testing of autonavigation components, and the necessary mathematical analysis techniques. Recent advances are inchlded, such as ballistic guidance and aircraft guidance. The text, which includes most of the unclassitied material available, was originally prepared as a series of lectures for graduate students, but it is also a valuable reference for those working in the field. Among the 47 referenees (dated 1954-1959) is the O'Donnell paper appearing in this JOURNAL for 1958. ZAHLENWERTE UND FUNKTIONEN AUS PHYSIK, CHEMIE UND ASTRONOMIE, GEOPHYSIK UND TECHNIK. II BAND : EIGENSCItAFTEN DER

MATERIE IN IHREN AGGREGATZUSTANDEN. 7 TEIL: ELEKTRISCHE EIGENSCrtAFTEN tI (ELEKTROCHEMISCHE SYSTEME), by R. Appel, K. Cruse, P. Drossbach, H. Falkenhagen, G. G. Grau, G. Kelbg, E. Schmutzer and H. Strehlow, edited by Karl-Heinz Hellwege, Anne Marie Hellwege, Klaus Schgffer and Ellen Lax. Sixth edition, 959 pages, diagrams, 7½ X 10½ in. Berlin, Spriuger-Verlag, 1960. Price, DM 478. This second section of Part 7, which has the general title of Electrical Properties, covers electrochemical systems in the careful and detailed manner with which all the volumes in this important series of tables and functions have been prepared. This sixth edition is divided into three main p a r t s - Electrical Conductivity in Electrochemical Systems, Electromotive Forces, and Equilibrium in Electrochemical Systems. The first part covers tables of molten salts, pure

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liquids, aqueous and nonaqueous solutions and electrophoretic and electrokinetic potentials. The second part contains tables of reversible and irreversible potentials. The third part covers dissociation constants, acids, bases and indicators, and pH numbers with buffer solutions. The table of contents is clearly arranged so t h a t a particular table may be quickly located. Literature sections follow all of the tables. The book is well printed and well bound, to withstand the hard usage demanded of a reference work of this sort. THE PLASMA STATE, by E. J. Hellund. 190 pages, diagrams, 6 N 9 in. New York, Reinhold Publishing Corp., 1961. Price, $6.50. This book is an initial effort in presenting the fundamentals and significance of highly ionized gases, fully describing what is currently known of the plasma state in all its aspects. The author defines plasma and explains the complexities of energy-exchange processes, after giving a brief historical outline of highenergy sources. Plasma morphology, energy exchange and hot gases are covered in separate chapters. A discussion of problems yet to be solved in regard to plasma is included in a chapter on the various kinds of plasmas, and there is an outline of devices, and information on the artificial and natural sources of highenergy particles. Industry and research workers will find a wealth of valuable information in this important new book. TOPOLOGY, by John G. Hocking and Gall S. Young. 363 pages, diagrams, 6 )< 9 in. Reading (Mass.), Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., Inc., 1961. Price, $8.75. Offering a unified and self-contained treatment of basic topology, this book is intended for a first course in the subject of two semesters in length, at the graduate level. The authors had a double goal in writing this t e x t - - t o present the fundamentals of topology needed by every professional mathematician and also to erect a broad framework upon which the student of topology may build. As a result of this, almost every topic of interest in topology is mentioned. The first half of the book is primarily set-theoretic and the second half is algebraic,